Change the ending?

[Leaf Face]

Hello,

I recently finished writing a first book of a series and I have started on the second while I edit the first. The first one ends with some loose ends and a battle loss for the protagonists.

I am wondering if I should change the end to make the story a stand-alone so that it would have a better chance at being published, yet still have potential for the other two books I plan to write in the series. I like the way it ends now, but I am willing to rewrite it.

Any suggestions or advice?

Thanks.

[John Jarrold]

Two mutually exclusive answers, I'm afraid. Series sell far better than stand-alones. But if no one buys the first book, no one will want the second. So you can have an ending that would work for a series if required, but don't put all your eggs in one basket. It's also possible to write books in the same universe that aren't direct sequels - like Iain M Banks' Culture novels - so if the first book doesn't sell, you don't have to scrap an entire series...

[Leaf Face]

Thanks, I think I see what you are saying. I wrote a different ending last night, and today I will try each of them out with a fresh mind to see what works better.

[rankelidyek]

Interesting question here. I think you should make sure the novel stands by itself in that you feel that you've taken a journey and you've come to a natural conclusion. That said, there is nothing wrong with hinting at more. My own fantasy novel is meant to be a chronology of three books, but I knew I wanted to end the first book in a way where it was its own story: a primordial, subversive fairy tale. I think there is always more that can be told. The reader understands this. I'm not sure you're limited in that respect as long as your characters are changed in some way due to the events. My best advice would be to end it in such a way as to have no reservations whatsoever, whether it is a standalone or a series.

Granted, I'm not a fan of series, per se (as a writer). I like exploring different atmospheres and themes with each novel. I don't like the sense of repeating myself. I find it odd that I do have a series on my hands, though each book deals with a different phase of growth for the main character--a mythic interpretation of the recovery from abuse, and the broader theme of the darker side of love and what it does to those caught within its shadow. And there is some very cool stuff waiting to be explored and huge action sequences to write, so I don't feel constricted yet, I just see possibilities (so far).

Either way, congratulations on finishing your novel! I have a feeling you'll be toying with it anyway. I know I've poured through my own novel and have strengthened and reworked numerous sections. There's a certain joy in making things that much tighter and better. I like ruthless edits. I'll take every inch I can and I've had numerous test readers to help me (luckily). The hardest thing was tweaking the beginning so it lived up to the latter parts of the novel. I spent a year feeling it "wasn't there yet", despite my readers feeling the novel was fine. But it kept nagging me. It took time, but eventually what was left buried surfaced and the beginning really sang in terms of plot and character. Thankfully, my readers agreed. Most of them are curmudgeons who would eviscerate me if I screwed it up.

I do hope you figure out the best ending for your book. I think that ending will be the right one, regardless. One step may be to recruit test readers and to workshop your novel through online sites (critters.org or onlinewritingworkshop.com or others) or through other fellow writers. Keep all the comments and use what you can (though trust YOUR instincts most of all). Take your time and do what benefits your story most. This also means crafting a query that matches the quality of your novel, editing until you break, and brushing every bit of dirt off your story that you can. I think if you do this and take care of what you can control, then you'll have as good a chance as you can in the sometimes random world of publishing.

Best of luck and keep writing!

Ranke

[scalem X]

Maybe you could tell your editor that you've got seperate endings.
Personally I fear that if a book of a series is too much a stand alone, then you risk having a lot of people reading only your first novel. Especially when they have to wait for the second.

Ind the end it will still come down to what fits best for the story.